• Eligibility Conditions
• Choice of Benefit Plan
• Types of Benefits
• Benefits Amount
  • How Is the Benefit Amount Determined?
  • Deductions at Source
  • Declaring Income While You Are Receiving Benefits
• Benefit Application Process
• Specific events
• Forms
• Repayment of an Amount

How Is the Benefit Amount Determined?

The benefit amount to which you are entitled is based on, among other things:

• The qualifying period
• Your income
• The type of benefit
• The selected plan
• An increase for low-income families
  

To find out the estimated amount of benefits to which you may be entitled, you can try the benefit calculation simulator before applying.

Qualifying Period

The qualifying period is the period for which your earnings are taken into account to set your benefit amount. For wage earners, this period is normally the 52 weeks preceding the benefit period. It can, however, be extended to as many as 104 weeks if you were unable to work and receive insurable earnings (the earnings taken into account to set your benefit amount), in particular for the following reasons:

• You received indemnities from the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.
• You received employment insurance benefits.
• You received benefits under the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP).
• You received indemnities from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.

Decrease in insurable earnings during the qualifying period

A measure taking into account decreases in insurable earnings during the qualifying period was in effect from November 5, 2009 to November 30, 2012. If you met certain conditions, you could request that the qualifying period taken into account to set the amount of your benefits be the 52-week period preceding the first week of your most recent decrease in insurable earnings. (Your insurable earnings are the earnings taken into account to set the amount of your benefits.)

Since December 1, 2012 (if you meet certain conditions), you can request that your qualifying period be changed if your usual insurable earnings decreased for a period of time. You can request that the start date of the qualifying period taken into account to set the amount of your benefits be the 52-week period preceding the week of the most recent inability to receive a portion of your earnings for one of the following reasons:

• During your qualifying period, you were unable to receive a portion of your earnings for one of the following reasons:
  • you received employment insurance benefits or benefits under an Emploi-Québec employment assistance measure
  • you were ill, injured or pregnant
  • you were quarantined
  • you were etained in a prison, penitentiary or another similar institution
  • you were on strike or locked out
  • you were receiving indemnities from the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
  • you were receiving benefits under the QPIP
  • you were receiving indemnities from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec
  • you were receiving salary insurance
• You must have been unable to receive a portion of your income during the last 26 weeks of your qualifying period, weeks during which you were receiving insurable income. This provision only applies if the decrease in your income occurred during the 52-week period preceding your benefit period and was for one of the reasons mentioned above.

Earnings

To establish your benefit amount, we take into account the earnings on which you were required to contribute to the QPIP.

Steady employment income (salary)

We consider that your employment income was steady if you have had one employer and your normal gross weekly salary has always been the same over the 26 weeks preceding the date you wish your benefits to begin. (A public service employee is an example of a person in this situation.)

If this describes your situation and you wish to receive provisional benefits, you must declare the amount of your gross weekly income (salary).

Variable employment income (salary)

We consider that your employment income was variable if your normal gross weekly salary has not always been the same over the 26 weeks preceding the date you wish your benefits to begin. For example, the number of hours varies from week to week; you receive tips or commissions; or you have not worked every week over the past year.

If this describes your situation, you must:

• indicate the number of records of employment you have received over the 52 weeks preceding the date you wish your benefits to begin;
• declare the dates of the calendar weeks (Sunday to Saturday) in which you neither worked nor received remuneration while you had a job.

Increase for low-income families

The QPIP provides an additional amount for low-income families. If your net family income is less than $25,921, you may be granted an increase in benefits. Please note that remuneration that is insurable for the purposes of the QPIP received as a family-type resource or an intermediate ressource is not included in net family income.

It is important that you inform us without delay of any change in your situation.

Last update: 2012-11-30

© Gouvernement du Québec, 2013